1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power adapter for electrical installations and especially domestic installations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is already known that the rates charged for electric service by power distribution utilities increase with the maximum power for which the user has applied under service contract. In view of this situation, it has been proposed to adopt units designated as "load-shedders" having one input connected to the output of the general circuit-breaker and a number of power outputs each connected to one or a number of power consumption points. When the consumption exceeds a predetermined threshold value which is slightly lower than the service contract power, the load-shedder automatically disconnects these power outputs in cascade in a predetermined order of priority until the power consumption is restored to the service contract level. Certain units of this type enable the user to program the level of priority of power outputs or in other words the order in which said outputs are disconnected in the event of threshold overshoot.
Another known form of rate schedule is the time-differentiated scale in which the kilowatt-hour price level varies according to the time of day or night, thus giving rise to the night-rate schedule. In another billing system at present in use, a reduced rate is applied on a year-round basis except for a few so-called "peak" days in which the tariff, or billing rate, is particularly high. In the system just mentioned, a warning signal is sent over the network a predetermined time before the high rate comes into effect, thus urging the user to moderate his power consumption. A second signal is then delivered in order to switch the meter to the new billing rate.